Chapter 2
She quickly settled herself onto the sofa beside the small table, then poured the nuptial wine from the bottle into the empty glass in front of her until it nearly overflowed.
‘Glug-glug—’
The sound seemed to bring a sense of calm to her heart, which had been restless all this time.
Luna, who had been tense and rigid throughout the day from nervousness, lifted the glass in her hand and downed its contents in one go.
The hot, bitter liquid burned her esophagus instantly as it slid down her throat with a soft ‘gulp’, spreading a sharp, acrid taste across her entire mouth. Today had been nothing but a series of first experiences.
Having never drunk alcohol before, Luna soon felt some of her tension ease, and she continued to drink one glass after another.
Her stiff fingertips relaxed, and the rapid pounding of her heart—which had felt like it had stopped working properly all day—gradually turned into something strangely pleasant.
Lost in the sensation, Luna became so absorbed that she did not even hear the sound of the bedroom door opening.
—
A faint weariness lingered on Caesar’s face.
His handsome brow was slightly furrowed.
The unwanted wedding ceremony and the insincere congratulations from the nobles—all of it had only left him feeling bored and drained.
To Caesar, today was not a once-in-a-lifetime wedding; it was just another ordinary day, only more exhausting and unpleasant than usual.
This was how he had always lived: under the Emperor’s watchful eye and the constant scrutiny of the aristocracy. Rather than stepping outside the boundaries set for him, he had to find ways to survive within them. This marriage was no different.
There was no way the Emperor had chosen his bride without some hidden motive. He had no idea what orders this woman might have received, or to whom she would later report everything she saw and heard.
His dislike of this marriage was not because he found his bride unappealing. It was simply the knowledge that he was being forced to keep what he recognised as a dangerous trap right beside him, under the title of Grand Duchess, that made him feel so uneasy.
He recalled the moment just earlier, when he had caught Adelia as she had nearly stumbled while walking down the aisle.
She had stared up at him with wide, startled eyes, looking so innocent and naive.
‘Hah. Innocent? This woman?’
She was notorious among the nobility as a scandal-maker. Rumours followed her everywhere, claiming she was loose and frivolous in her relationships with men.
And this union had been actively pushed forward by the Emperor, who already held him in such low regard. It was too simple to assume the Emperor merely wanted to humiliate him by marrying him off to a woman of such questionable reputation. There was more to it. He had no idea what schemes this woman might try once she entered his household. Just thinking about it made his head throb.
‘So I can never let my guard down, even in my own home,’ Caesar thought, letting out a quiet, mocking laugh.
Before long, he arrived at the door of the bridal chamber. Pausing only briefly, he reached out and turned the handle without hesitation.
Click—
The moment the door opened, the sight that met his eyes was nothing like what he had expected.
On the small table beside the bed, the wine bottle and glasses lay scattered carelessly; the bottle was already nearly empty, its bottom clearly visible.
Leaning against the furniture, the woman sat slumped in an unsteady, dishevelled posture.
Her flushed cheeks and glazed, unfocused eyes made it obvious that she was heavily intoxicated.
Stunned by the sight of his bride in such a state, Caesar hesitated for a moment before stepping slowly inside and taking a seat opposite her.
On their wedding night, the first night of their marriage, she had drunk alone all the nuptial wine meant for them to share—and had gotten completely drunk.
A look of characteristic indifference and cynicism settled on Caesar’s face as he drew closer.
Upon noticing him, Adelia’s expression slowly softened.
Her speech slurred, no doubt from the alcohol, she addressed him in a thick, slow voice.
“Ah… hello…?”
She blinked her eyes slowly, clearly recognising who stood before her.
Even in her inebriated state, she had made an effort to greet him, trying to ease the awkward silence. Watching her greet him so abruptly, the corner of Caesar’s handsome mouth twitched slightly.
“Just as I’ve heard.”
A woman who supposedly indulged in drinking and debauchery regardless of time or place; the black sheep of high society, who was said to be far too eager for the attention of men.
‘Using seduction to extract information? That would be ideal,’ he thought coldly. ‘Smile sweetly, whisper softly in my ear, and soon she would spill everything she learns.’
Truth be told, he had no desire to be alone with a woman whose intentions were unknown. Yet he could not simply skip their first night together; if he rejected her, there was no telling what stories would be carried back to the Emperor.
Recalling her notorious reputation, he spoke in a calm, composed tone.
“A bride already drunk on our first night. You truly live up to your name as the black sheep.”
She blinked her heavy-lidded eyes, her gaze drifting lazily over him, and parted her lips to reply.
“Marrying Your Grace… it would be strange if someone wasn’t nervous… hic.”
So she claimed she had drunk the wine only to calm her nerves.
‘Or was this yet another calculated move?’ One of Caesar’s eyebrows lifted in faint suspicion.
She lifted the empty bottle and shook it, but only a few last drops trickled out with a faint glug before it fell silent.
Caesar reached out instantly, took the glass from her hand, and set it firmly back on the table with a sharp clink.
“You’ve had far too much.”
“I only meant to try a little, since it was sitting there… but I lost track… should I call a maid to bring another bottle…?”
Her words were slow and mumbled, her tongue still heavy from drink.
“Is that really necessary?”
Without waiting for her answer, he stood up, lifted his intoxicated bride into his arms, and carried her toward the bed.
Though it was a loveless, political marriage, his attitude was one of cold efficiency—no conversation, no warmth, just a desire to get the unavoidable duty over with as quickly as possible.
Luna sank deep into the soft mattress, and the shock of the sudden movement seemed to sober her up at once. She spoke quickly, her voice rising.
“W-Wait a moment.”
“Surely you aren’t going to pretend to be innocent now, are you? Little black sheep.”
The Duke’s tone was laced with sarcasm, a clear jab at her colourful past.
It was hardly the sort of thing a newly wedded bride—especially one wearing a thin nightgown that left little to the imagination—should be hearing on her wedding night.
As Luna stared back at him in confusion and alarm, her eyes darting nervously, he moved faster still.
Misinterpreting her hesitation, he quickly stripped away the nightgown that covered her, letting it fall to the floor.
It was a simple garment, easy to undo with a single gesture, so it required no effort at all.
Freed from the restrictive fabric, her full, rounded breasts swayed freely.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, and in the moonlight, her naked body was fully exposed.
Luna tried to cover herself with her slender arms, but they were only long enough to hide the tips of her nipples—an act that, ironically, only made her look even more enticing.
“Truly, experience cannot be hidden. You certainly know how to stir a man’s desire.”
His gaze was so direct and intense that Luna felt overwhelmed with embarrassment.
“T-That’s not it… Ah—!”
Caesar brushed her arms roughly aside, lowered his head, and took one of her rosy, swollen nipples into his mouth, sucking and rolling it firmly between his lips.
The warm, wet sensation wrapped softly around the sensitive peak. The sight of his soft lips fastened to her breast was far more erotic than she could have imagined.
As he sucked harder, drawing the entire areola deep into his mouth, Luna’s back arched sharply off the bed.
“Ah… Mmm—!”
The shock of the sudden shift left her stunned for only a moment, before unfamiliar sensations washed over her, robbing her of all thought.
Everywhere his tongue brushed, her skin grew hot and flushed. She squirmed helplessly, unsure how to react.
Desperately clinging to what little rationality she still possessed, she tried to push him away by his shoulders—but her efforts only served to excite him further.
‘So this is what she likes,’ Caesar thought.
He kept the nipple, now damp with saliva, in his mouth, biting down gently but firmly, just hard enough to send a sharp, tingling pleasure radiating through her entire body, awakening every nerve in her skin.
Was it really possible to feel this much pleasure just from having her nipples sucked? Combined with the lingering effects of the wine, her mind grew foggy and disoriented.
Observing her reactions closely, Caesar slowly ran his tongue over the other breast, then spoke in a low, husky voice.
“Just as I expected—you are incredibly sensitive.”
She trembled at the slightest touch, as if she had been born for this.
He slid one hand slowly down to caress her hips and buttocks; her skin was so responsive that she shivered whenever his fingers brushed over it.
Before long, his hand travelled lower still, finding its way to the most private part of her body.
The soft, secret place between her thighs was already damp and warm. He rubbed gently in slow, smooth strokes.
“Aaah—!”
“You are already so wet.”
Even though he had only been touching her breasts, her lower body had already softened and opened, as if fully prepared.
He slid one finger inside her slick folds, and she accepted it smoothly and easily. A faint smirk touched the corner of his lips.
“Mmm—!!”
Taken by surprise at the foreign intrusion, Luna squeezed her legs tightly shut.
But Caesar paid no attention, continuing to rub and stroke deep inside her. Her inner flesh, soft and moist, clung to his finger, moving in rhythm with him.
Overwhelmed by the sudden, intense stimulation, she tried to lift her hips and pull away—but every movement only drove his finger deeper inside.
She felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes.
It was a strange sensation, unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her thighs trembled uncontrollably, as if they might give way at any moment.
Caesar explored her carefully, as if studying something unknown, his expression appearing almost focused and serious.
The wet, slick sounds echoing through the quiet room seemed unusually loud.
He pushed his finger deeper, until his knuckles were buried inside her, and when he brushed against a certain spot, Luna’s hips jerked sharply upward of their own accord.
“…There it is.”
He had found it—a sensitive area deep within her, slightly to the right.
He rubbed that rough, tender spot firmly, and a flood of warm fluid released, leaving her mind going completely blank, as if everything had turned to white.
“Ah… Nn—! Don’t… that feels…!”
As she bit down gently on her lower lip, Caesar murmured softly, his voice low and heavy, ringing in her ears even through the haze of pleasure.
After a brief moment of stillness, she felt something thick and hard press against her entrance.
With a slow, steady pressure, he pushed forward, breaching the tight barrier between her legs. Luna gasped sharply, her fingers clutching at the sheets beneath her as a strange, full ache spread through her core. It felt both painful and strangely warm, stretching her open in a way she had never imagined.
Caesar paused for only a moment, letting her adjust to his size, before beginning to move with deep, deliberate strokes. Each thrust drove him further inside, hitting that sensitive spot deep within her that had made her tremble earlier. The friction, combined with the wetness already pooling between them, created a rhythm that soon sent waves of heat surging through her entire body.
“Ah…! Mmm…” she moaned, no longer able to hold back the sounds. Her earlier confusion and hesitation melted away, replaced by a rising tide of pleasure that blurred the line between right and wrong. Her hips began to lift to meet his movements, as if her body knew what it wanted even when her mind did not.
Caesar watched her face intently—the way her eyes fluttered shut, her lips parted, and her cheeks flushed even deeper. The cold suspicion in his chest warred with the sharp, undeniable pleasure coursing through his own veins.
‘She acts like she truly feels this,’ he thought, his pace growing harder and faster. ‘Or is she just that good at pretending?’
But whatever the truth behind her intentions, the feeling of her warm, tight flesh wrapped around him was too intoxicating to resist. He leaned down, capturing her mouth in a rough, hungry kiss, swallowing her cries as he drove into her again and again. The bed creaked softly beneath them, the only sound in the dim room mixed with their heavy breathing and the slick, wet sounds of their joining.
Luna’s senses spun wildly. Every stroke sent shockwaves of pleasure up her spine, making her toes curl and her legs wrap instinctively around his waist. The tension building low in her belly grew tighter and tighter, coiling like a spring until it finally snapped. She cried out, her back arching off the mattress as wave after wave of overwhelming bliss washed over her, leaving her trembling and breathless.
Caesar followed only moments later, burying himself deep inside her as he released a low groan, his body tensing before collapsing gently beside her. For a long while, the only sound was their ragged breathing, both of them lying still in the moonlight filtering through the window.
Luna lay there, her mind still foggy from alcohol and the overwhelming sensations, her body aching and warm. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and strangely light-headed—unsure whether to feel shame, confusion, or something else entirely.
Beside her, Caesar had already regained his usual composure. He turned his head to look at her, his expression unreadable once more, though his eyes held a glint of something darker.
“Now,” he said in a calm, detached tone, “the duty is done. Remember your place, Grand Duchess. Do not think this changes anything between us.”
With that, he shifted away, leaving her alone in the tangled sheets, the reality of their marriage settling heavily over the room once more.
